We check in with people at each stage of the cash transfer process to see how things are going. Take a look at some of their stories as they appear here in real-time.
Learn more about how recipients opt in to share their stories.
Describe the moment when you received your money. How did you feel?
Being unable to work due to the mental challenge that I have. I was at home relaxing after taking my breakfast and medicine. I realized I had received the transfer when my helper who had my phone came to my house and informed me that I had received it. I felt extremely happy since I was sure that I will get a long-lasting solution to my problem of poor shelter.
Describe the biggest difference in your daily life since you started receiving payments from GiveDirectly.
Having been able to renovate my house with the help of my transfer is what makes my life different. Waking up every morning from a decent and more durable house unlike before is what makes my life happy. I am no longer worried that it will fall any time rendering me homeless after putting up strong pillars.
What did you spend your most recent transfer(s) on?
I spent a big portion of my recent transfer to renovate my house. I bought 30 bags of cement, and lorries of stones and set aside some money for the labor cost. This is because my house was about to collapse since it had inclined toward one side. I put up strong pillars in my house so that it may be strong and durable. Similarly, I did plastering using the cement. The remaining amount assisted me in purchasing sufficient food for myself because I am unable to work because of age and my mental illness that attacked me after my son and spouse died one month ago.
Enrolled
access_time over 2 years ago
What does receiving this money mean to you?
It is a blessing to receive such a huge transfer of 55,000 KSH at my old age, am at 90 years can you believe? This is a blessing I want to buy large stock of food especially grains, that will sustain me during drought.
I also want to buy some few goats, so instead of sitting down all the time I want to wake up and take them to grazing, and I find that some kind of exercise to me. When they give birth I will bless my grandchildren with them so they can always remember Give directly.
What is the happiest part of your day?
All my daughters came over to visit, they live in Mombasa, I had not seen them for a long time, and I was so happy to see my grandchildren and they even brought me shopping, which has me lasted till now.
What is the biggest hardship you've faced in your life?
It's hard to get 3 meals a day, so I have to depend on my children for food, and it's quite challanging because they also have their own children who they want to feed.
Like today I have not taken anything, since morning so I know in the evening, someone might remember me or not.
I have an unending headache which is suffer all the time, I go to hospital for checkups and doctors say am okay, nowadays my ears too have sores, am struggling so much I don't know if it's old age or just mere sickness.
I need to go for checkup in private hospitals but I cannot afford because it is very expensive.
